She's Leaving Home
by loiseauchanteur
Summary: Howl notices that Sophie has been acting strange lately, yet it still shocks him when one morning he finds she has gone. Not a trace of her except for a note she left. Will the two follow their minds, or their hearts? RxR please!
1. Chapter 1

It was a late Tuesday evening when Howl had noticed that something was wrong.

He had just arrived at his and Sophie's flat after a long evening of dancing and socializing with the locals. This was his third night out this week, and each night he returned with a glassy but content look in his eyes. Probably from the few drinks he'd had. He usually lost count after his fourth glass. Or eighth.

Howl stood outside the entrance fumbling with his keys. It took him a few attempts to find the right one, but he dropped them and they hit the cool stony floor with a quiet jingle. He sighed, and bent to pick them up. The moon was high up in the sky, casting a soft glow on the town of Ingary. When he bent over to reach for his keys, a wave of nausea hit him hard, and he crouched over on his toes and brought his knees close to his chest with his arms. _Damn it_, he thought, _maybe I shouldn't have gone out tonight._ Howl lifted one arm to knock on the wooden door, hoping that Sophie would hear him.

As if on cue, Sophie opened the door before his arm could reach it, and because his equilibrium was off his weight shifted to one side and he nearly fell over. Sophie caught him by his shoulder and he squinted as the light from the candle she held blinded him. He smiled at her, but her face mirrored the exact opposite expression.

"Do you know what time it is?" Sophie asked, trying to control her temper. Howl was about to shake his head, but that nearly caused him to throw up. Sophie groaned under her breath, placed the candle on the side table, and pulled the drunken wizard up. She propped him against her, supporting most of his weight.

"For heavens sake, Howl; you may look lean but you weigh as much as a cow," she muttered irritably. He ignored that comment, much too tired to think of a comeback. The two slowly made their way past the den and into Howl's room. It was a complete mess, with books, clothes and potions scattered everywhere. Sophie kicked some of them away trying to create a path from the door to his bed through the rubble. Normally, Howl would have had a fit because Sophie was throwing around his possessions, but the fool was too intoxicated with alcohol Sophie could have dumped all his potions down the drain and he could not give a damn. Not until the next morning, at least.

"Come along now, take off your shoes," she murmured, helping him onto the bed. He kicked them off with his heels, and Sophie helped him to loosen the strings on his shirt. Then she reached into her pocket for a match to light the candle on his side table. Sophie looked up at him and saw that his eyes were bloodshot and his face was red, even under the candle's dim light. She wanted nothing more than to throw him back onto the streets with those barbaric friends he was with tonight, but her anger only masked her feelings of worry and fear for him.

"I'll be right back," she said, letting her fingertips brush his arm, and she quickly retreated to the kitchen to fetch him a glass of water. She opened one of the wooden cupboards, grabbed a glass, and then searched for an elixir that would ensure he would sleep for at least twelve hours. When she spotted the familiar blue vial she reached for it on her toes and plucked it from the shelves. She filled the glass with water from the tap, and then stared at the blue vial in her hand. She twisted it in her hands, hoping that maybe she'd find the answer by looking at it from different angles.

_Are you sure about this?_ Sophie asked herself. She wasn't, but right now she wasn't sure about a lot of things. She took a deep breath, and popped open the cap. She poured one tiny drop into his drink, knowing it would be more than enough. She watched as the liquid created a silky blue ribbon in his drink, and she stirred it quickly with a spoon, watching it disappear. Sophie picked up the glass and returned to Howl's room to find him curled up in a ball under his sheets. She almost smiled.

Sophie sat on the edge of the bed and silently handed Howl the glass. He stood up reluctantly, feeling his head throb. He moaned in pain, and then downed the glass of water in seconds. When he set the glass down, Sophie felt a lump form in her throat. She looked down at her feet before she spoke.

"Did you buy the fabric I asked you to get?" she whispered as loudly as she dared. She already knew the answer, but there was hope that she so desperately clung onto. There was an agonizingly long pause as Howl tried to remember what she meant. Sophie took the silence as a 'no', and smiled bitterly.

"That's alright… you must have been… busy," she said, and Howl wanted to explain with some petty excuse; he was on his way to the store when he had met some lovely people, whose names he'd already forgotten, when they invited him to go out for dining and dancing. _Sophie would understand_, he had thought; he was only trying to be politely. He wanted to tell her, but he felt like there was a giant weight on his shoulders. He felt very tired. His eye lids felt heavy, and his pulse was beginning to slow. He needed to say something, because in the pit of his stomach he felt there was something off about the way she was acting. Like a mother who was trying to think of a way to break the news to her son that their father was not returning home from his trip. That he never would.

"Sophie…" he tried again, but she just silenced him by touching her fingers to his lips. He felt a light flush creep onto his face from the gesture, and even Sophie was surprised at the boldness of her actions. She pulled her hand away quickly.

"Go to sleep, Howl," she said in an almost soothing tone. He murmured something, but his words were lost as fatigue took over him. He closed his eyes and his head lulled to one side of his pillow. He truly did look like a child, especially under the candlelight, Sophie thought; so peaceful and so unaware. She felt tears well up in her eyes, and she stood up before her urge to curl up beside him grew any stronger. She reached for the candle and carried it over towards the door. She turned and took one last lingering look at Howl. It was all set. Now, she had to pluck up the courage to finish what she'd already started.

Then, she stepped out into the hallway, closed the door behind her, and headed for her room to pack her things.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I apologize for how slowly I update. This chapter is quite short, but I think it should leave you satisfied. I hope.

Thank you for your patience!

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><p><em>Wednesday morning at five o'clock as the day begins.<em>

_Silently turning her bedroom door;_

_Leaving the note that she hoped would say more._

_She goes down the stairs to her kitchen, clutching her handkerchief._

_Quietly turning the backdoor key, stepping outside she is free._

_She is leaving home._

_**She Is Leaving Home – The Beatles (Sgt. Peppers)**_

It was dark outside when Howl awoke.

_No, that couldn't possibly be._

Then he realized the curtains were merely closed.

Howl rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, trying to wipe the fatigue from his face. He stretched, curling his toes and cracking his back like a cat would do. He could feel his hangover linger from the previous night. He could hardy recall any of the events from a few hours ago. He didn't even know how he had ended up in his bed in the first place, and that almost frightened him. But he knew that Sophie must have helped him here, because she had left a glass of water for him on the side table.

He stood up groggily and tugged the curtains open, revealing the midday sun. He was blinded for a brief moment before his eyes readjusted to the light. He let out a long yawn and blinked away the tears that followed. The young wizard walked towards his dresser and caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror. As much as he admired his undeniable good looks, he was horrified at his current appearance. He had dark circles under his blue eyes, his jaw had developed some stubble, and his hair was tousled. He saw something pink sticking out of his blonde locks. It was a feather.

"What the hell did I do last night?" he asked himself, plucking it from his head.

Well whatever it was, he thought, it must've been entertaining.

Howl blindly made his way to the kitchen wearing the same clothes he'd gone to bed in. He noticed that on the wooden table there were no plates and utensils set out. _Had he missed lunch?_ He wondered to himself, noting that Sophie always joined him for every meal; at least, every meal that he was home for. He looked out the window and saw it was probably past noon, because the streets were filled with pedestrians doing their daily browsing or grocery shopping. Howl began to fix a meal for himself, while trying to ignore his headache. Once again, he wondered where Sophie was.

"Sophie," he called over his shoulder, and waited for her reply. But the young girl did not call back. He called again, his voice louder and more concerned than before.

Perhaps she was out running errands. She always went out during the middle of the week to buy vegetables, books, or fabric. Suddenly Howl remembered that Sophie had asked him to buy her some the other day for her. He decided to check her room, in case she merely had her nose in a book. He often found that she liked to tune him out that way, by escaping into her magical world of words. The floorboards creaked harshly as he walked towards Sophie's room.

"Sophie," he called as he climbed the stairs. He stopped at the door and knocked quietly. "Have you eaten already? I was hoping I could make us some-" he stopped mid sentence as he opened the door.

Most of the drawers were half opened, revealing that their contents had been taken out. The bed had been made. Its crisp sheets were folded neatly at the foot of the bed. All of Sophie's possessions had disappeared from her side table, except for a piece of parchment and a few drops of ink that had dried and permanently dyed itself into the wood. The only sound came from the breeze that the open window let in. Howl walked slowly to the table. He picked up the paper and his eyes glazed over it. He was not able to read it. He could only absorb a few phrases. He saw the words _'anger', _'_regret',_ '_sorry', 'leaving', 'alone', 'apologize'._

Howl could not string the words together. He could not understand what Sophie was trying to say. He read the final sentence seven times before it sunk in.

_I cannot continue to be with you, but even though I will never forget you, I want you to forget about me. Best of luck, Sophie. _

He let the paper fall to the ground silently.

He sat on the edge of the bed, crinkling the sheets. Sophie had left him.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I want to thank all of my readers for being so patient with me. As you can tell I'm the slowest writer on the planet and I definitely need deadlines. Lots of stuff has been going on, and I don't want to bore you with my personal life. So let's get on with the story, I hope it satisfies your fanfiction-crazy hearts :)

Happy reading!

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><p>"This is the last stop, ma'am," the driver grumbled impatiently.<p>

As Sophie looked up from her book, her eyes landed on the door. They appeared to have arrived at the border of a large town. She turned her head to see that she was the only passenger on the bus. Sophie closed her book, tucked it between her arms and grabbed her suitcase, quickly retreating down the steps and onto the sidewalk. Before she could thank him or ask where she was the driver slammed the door shut and drove away. Sophie watched the trolley turn the corner, and realized that she was alone.

She began to walk down the dirt road the driver had left her at and followed it towards the closest building, hoping to find some answers, or another person. Silently dragging her suitcase along, Sophie wondered how long she had been on that trolley. She had gotten on very early in the day. It felt like only a few hours, but the sun had already set and the moon was high in the sky, casting a soft glow on the town. She needed a place to stay the night.

The buildings surrounding her stood tall, making her feel very small and out of place. She could make out the silhouettes of a bunch of chimneys puffing out smoke. They looked like the kind that factories had. And the air smelled of sea salt. Only a few dim street lamps were lit to light the way. In the distance at the end of the street, she saw a handful of people laughing as they entered what appeared to be a pub. She decided to go ask them if they knew anyone with an extra bed. It wasn't exactly her ideal place to go, but it was a start. As she got closer she could hear jazz music and laughter echoing in the air. She looked through the glass window, her eyes widened as she saw a breathtakingly beautiful blonde woman and a handsome man on stage performing. Sophie couldn't understand what language they were singing it, but it sounded lovely; like they were singing about a bittersweet kind of love. Suddenly, _he_ came into her mind and she felt uneasy. Her hand reached for the door but she hesitated. _What do you expect to find here? _The little voice in her mind asked.

"The song's about unrequited love," a voice from behind her said, and Sophie let out a little scream. She turned around and clutched her bag and pressed her back against the door. She was face to face with a young man, who looked amused by her reaction.

"Sorry miss didn't mean to frighten you," he said holding up his hands apologetically, although he looked as though he was trying to stifle a laugh. "Not many people know what the song is about, since they can't understand Portuguese. It's a shame, since it's really a lovely story." Sophie took a deep breath and stood up slowly, but she didn't loosen her grip on her bags. Letting her eyes give him a one over, she noticed he was very tall; at least a whole foot taller than her. He was fairly tan, which meant he probably worked outside a lot. Judging by his shabby coat, overalls and rolled up sleeves she guessed she was probably right. His dark hair was in desperate need of grooming, and he clearly hadn't shaved in days. But his green eyes... He started to chuckle, and Sophie tried to hide her embarrassment.

"I mean no harm Miss I promise, you just look a little lost," he said.

"I am not lost," Sophie replied, enunciating every syllable._ Being lost would mean she had a destination in mind_, she mentally added. She kept her chin held high. She remembered her mother telling her if she ever came face to face with someone new, to keep your chin held high and your eyes off the floor. Never let your guard down. "I was about to walk in," she explained.

"Then why haven't you done it already? Saw you standing there for at least a minute now."

"You were staring, eh? Well _someone_ scared the living daylights out of me, and it would be rude if I didn't acknowledge his existence," she said curtly.

"How kind of you," he said jokingly, and Sophie tried not to roll her eyes. Sophie sighed. "Am I annoying you miss?" he asked with a boyish grin on his face. Sophie shook her head.

"No, you're not. I'm just... tired." They stood there quietly for a moment, and then he cleared his throat and held out his hand.

"I'm Rufus. Rufus Callaway." Sophie hesitated for a second, and then shook his hand briefly.

"Sophie. My name is Sophie."

"You're not from round these parts," he said. She noticed it wasn't a question, but an obvious fact. She wore a dark blue dress with a white scarf wrapped carefully around her neck, and silk gloves to cover her fingers. Compared to the folks she'd seen tonight, she was dressed like royalty. And the clothes she had in her bags wouldn't help either. She shook her head, and half smiled.

"Where exactly am I?" she asked.

"You're in Paradise," he said with a grin. Sophie scoffed. She looked around at the old buildings covered in rust and chipped paint.

"Yeah right, what's this town really called?" she asked, and the look he gave her told her he was serious. "I see... well if this is 'Paradise', wherever I was before must have been heaven on earth," she mumbled. Rufus took no offense to the remark. He took out his watch from the inside of his coat pocket, and glanced at Sophie.

"Do you have some place to be or would you like to grab a bite? It's nearly midnight and I haven't eaten a thing since my break," Rufus said nonchalantly. Sophie was surprised by his forwardness.

"I..." Sophie said hesitantly. Normally, she would have refused, but she hadn't eaten anything in a few hours either. Then her stomach grumbled. Her face turned bright red. Rufus smiled.

"I'll take that as a yes. C'mon, I know a place that's got good fish. They've probably got an extra bed for you too," he said, and beckoned her to follow him. He started to walk down the dimly lit road, disappearing into the shadows. Sophie quickly grabbed her suitcase and shuffled after him.

"Hold on, how'd you know I didn't have a place to stay?" she inquired, trying to catch up with him.

"Well you probably would've gone there already, right?" he replied, turning back to look at her. _That comeback never seems to get old_, she thought. He turned his back to her and continued to walk at his own quick pace. Sophie trailed behind him, still wondering whether she should trust Rufus or not. This was all happening so fast. 'Paradise' was sketchy, but he didn't seem quite so bad. He was offering her hospitality and food. She would only stay a few nights, tops; just enough time for her to gain her strength and get back on her feet. Maybe this town was the perfect place to start fresh. To forget what happened. To forget _him._


End file.
